Steering Wheel Gear Box

[JBog]

This is my first time opening up the gearbox to clean it out. Grease was old and hard. I cleaned it out as best as I could.

Do the parts look okay?

What kind and how much do I use to replace the grease?

Thanks!

[TWrenn]

Well one good thing it's the improved 5:1 ratio.
Kinda hard to tell really in pics, if yours has issues. When you put one of the 13 teeth gears on it's pin, how sloppy is it? I find that is the biggest reason for play, other than maybe quadrant rivets loose, and the all too ignored bushing down at the frame in the steering bracket. Check it out too.

[TWrenn]

Forgot..for grease I use good old "red 'n tacky".

[JBog]

Well one good thing it's the improved 5:1 ratio.
Kinda hard to tell really in pics, if yours has issues. When you put one of the 13 teeth gears on it's pin, how sloppy is it? I find that is the biggest reason for play, other than maybe quadrant rivets loose, and the all too ignored bushing down at the frame in the steering bracket. Check it out too.

Maybe I'll dry fit it to be sure, but I didn't notice any play, it was just getting hard to steer. The old grease was black and at the stage of being chunky and hard. I have a bunch of Valvoline red I can use. I think I got enough of the old grease out of there that there should be a conflict between the residual black and the new red?

[JBog]

Do I pack it like a bearing? Or just cover the posts and teeth with a little coating?

[Norman Kling]

I pack mine full including putting some around the pins where the gears spin. Then I run the cover on tight. If there is end play you might need to tighten a little more and re-drill and tap a hole for the screw, or drill the outer cover for a screw in the same place the old one was but with the cover tighter. If there is play at the end where the pitman arm is attached, you might need to bush and ream the bushings. Sometimes this requires turning the shaft a bit to get it concentric. There are many other locations which can cause play. All the connections and bushings including the spindle bolts and the ends of the tie rod and drag link. Good luck. After you get everything together check and clean up any grease which might ooze out of the steering gear box. Usually just a bit comes out at first, but it can get on your clothes or on the floor.
Norm

[DanTreace]

Follow Ford Service on steering overhaul. Pack that case as you smear each gear with grease. Lube the main pinion shaft that sticks thru the gear case cover too with grease , that’s a bearing surface.

[TWrenn]

To answer your question about conflict between the old black crud and new red grease, just be sure to clean it out as best you can, I love lacquer thinner to degrease this stuff. A good wet rag and a screwdriver to get in the nooks and crannies should do it. Soak all the gears in it in a plastic container, I keep a supply of cottage cheese containers for that. This should enable you to get it all perfectly clean and ready to pack in with red grease.

[TRDxB2]

Don't forget to replace the screw that keeps the cover in place.

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If there are no chips they should be good.